Storyteller of Jerusalem

Explore the vibrant culture and history of Jerusalem through the memoirs of a street storyteller. Wasif Jawhariyyeh's collection of anecdotes, observations, and yearnings span over four decades, revealing intimate glimpses of people and events during Ottoman rule, the British mandate, and the run-up to the founding of the state of Israel. As an oud player, music lover, ethnographer, poet, partygoer, civil servant, local historian, devoted son, husband, father, and person of faith, Wasif offers a unique perspective on the city he loved. Discover the communitarian ethos that runs powerfully through Jerusalem's past, and perhaps offers the best hope for its future.